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On my visit to Madrid, I decided to do a tapas tour to learn more about this Spanish specialty. I chose Walks of Spain with Andrés Jarabo because it seemed like the most authentic tour available.
Joining a Tour
Tours costs €70 per person (as of June 2023) and include all food and wine. There’s a minimum age of 25 to join the tour. Tours are available Wednesday through Sunday and groups are kept small at no more than 10.
First, I emailed Andrés to ask about available tour dates. Once I chose a date, he asked me to meet the group at 7:15pm in Plaza de la Villa. Including me, it was a small group of seven people mostly from the US. We visited three different restaurants, but unfortunately I only remember the name of one of them – Toma Jamón.
Tapas
The most memorable dish we tried was jamón ibérico de bellota, which is made from free range pigs that feed on acorns. This is considered the finest quality ham in the world. It was served with toast topped with tomato sauce and olives.
At another place on Calle de Segovia, we sat outdoors and had an excellent squid with risotto cooked in its ink.
Conclusion
The tour was enjoyable and excellent and there was more than enough food for a full dinner. Andrés picked the best tapas I had on any of my trips to Spain and paired them with wines from his personal cellar. Each wine he chooses is very highly rated and is almost impossible to find anywhere else. He also does a wonderful job explaining each dish and wine.
For me, it didn’t feel touristy at all. It was more like a friend showing me his favorite places to eat, and the group had some great conversations as well.
